Salad with Sauteed Apple, Crispy Bacon, Aged Gouda and Italian Greens

Crispy bacon and sauteed apples with aged Gouda

Updated December 2018 

A mix of romaine, endive and radicchio Italian greens hold up well to the bacon, sauteed apple and aged Gouda cheese.  Or you could use escarole.

The salad dressing is sweet and spicy, because it is made with Dijon mustard and maple syrup.  It goes well with the apples and the bacon.

Real maple syrup is key.  And look for extra-aged Gouda in the cheese section. Smoked bacon works best, but anything you have will do.

---Barbara


Salad with Sauteed Apple, Crispy Bacon, and Gouda
(adapted from Fine Cooking, Dec 2016/Jan 2017)

Serves 4

1 bag of Italian Blend Salad Greens
(or 6- 8 cups of washed, cored and chopped escarole)
2 T. extra-virgin olive oil
2 T. sherry vinegar
1 T. pure maple syrup
1 T. Dijon mustard
4 slices of bacon
1 large crisp apple, cored and sliced into wedges
2 ounces (about 1/2 cup) coarsely grated, aged Gouda
salt and pepper to taste

In a large salad bowl, add the chopped greens.

In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, maple syrup and Dijon mustard.

In a skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat, to render out the fat, until crispy.  Remove from the skillet to a paper towel to drain and cool.

Drain off the fat, then add the apples, placing them one side down, and cook over medium heat until browned, then flip them over and brown the other side.  You want them to start to caramelize and start to soften, but not get mushy.  Takes about 3 minutes per side, a total of 7 minutes to get them softened and brown.  Grind fresh black pepper over the apples, and just tiny bit of salt.

Add the sauteed apples from the skillet to the greens, then break up the bacon into bite-size bits over the apples, then grate the aged Gouda cheese over the top.

Add the dressing, then toss it together and serve.

B